Refrigerating apparatus



Jan. 3, 1933. H, B, wALUs 1,892,713

'REFRIGERA'I'ING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 51. 1927 l 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jana,1933. H, B, WALLIS u 1,892,713

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS provide an improved cooling unit which will.

Patented Jan. 3, 1933 UNITED srrrs PisxrlzN'rI OFFICE HAROLD B. WALLIS,0F DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO FRIGIDAIRECORPORATION, A CORPORATIONOF DELAWARE REFRIGERATING APPARATUSApplication led January 31, 1927. Serial No. 164,712.

This invention relates to refrigerating apfrigerating cabinets.

One of the ob]ects of the invention is to be economical to manufactureand assemble.

Another object is to provide an-improved cooling unit having a large icefreezingvcapaeity.

Still another object is to provideA a simple and economical arrangementof refrigerating ducts which provide a freezing space, with or without acooling space surrounding the freezing space, and means for withdrawingheat from the interior of the freezing space.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein a pre-y ferred embodiment of one form of the presentinvention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a cabinet, having a door open, showing acooling unit inside constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through a portion of the cabinet, showingthe cooling unit 0 on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a cooling unit; and I Fig. 4 is a sideView of the same.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the

" interior of the cabinet 10 is divided into a refrigerating compartment11 and a food storage compartment 12 by an L-shaped partition 13, havingopenings 15 and 16 to permit circulation of air. The refrigeratingcompartment contains an evaporator or cooling unit, generally denoted by18, to which refrigerant is supplied by a pipe 19 and from which it iswithdrawn through a pipe 2O by means of any suitable refrigerating-apparatus (not shown) Such apparatus may be placed at any convenientlocation, such as in a machine compartmentyprovided A'with doors 21beneath the storage compartment 12. Air, cooled by the evaporator 18,descends through opening 16 into the food compartment, .displacing thewarm air therein, which. latter Hows into the refrigerating compartmentthrough the opening 15. This sets up a circulation of air and maintainsthe storage compartment cold in the well known manner.

In accordance with my invention, I construct the cooling unit asfollows:

An elongated header or boiler 22 for containing refrigerant is providedwith ducts 23 depending andextending laterally from it to enclose anelongated horizontally disposed freezing space 24. Other ducts 25 dependfrom the header and extend laterally beyond the ducts 23 so as to beexposed to and cool effectively the air circulating` through therefrigerating compartment.

Considerable manufacturing advantage results from joining each of theducts 23vto a duct 25 by connecting ducts 26, that is making a singleloop of pipe serve as one duct 23 and one duct 25. Preferably all theloops are of an identical shape, which is asymmetrical to the centralaxial plane of the header. In assembling, alternate loops are reversed,so as to alternate ducts 23 and 25 along the header. Bracing means forthe loops are provided at the lower ends thereof and are in the form ofstrips 36 connected with the ducts 26. 80

Since the freezing space is of considerable volume, I provide means for.dividing the freezing -space into a plurality of freezing zones orcompartments or for withdrawing heat from the interior of the space, inthe 5 formof one or more refrigerant ducts 30 extending from the boilerinto the center of the space with the horizontal portions extendinglongitudinally 'of 'and within the space. 'One of the ducts 3 0 islocated out- 90 side of the other of said ducts so that the inner ductis nested within the outer duct. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, such ductsare preferably loops, each connected to the header near each end of theheader, and lying in its central axial plane.

as shown in Fig. 3, for receiving ice trays 35, 00

shown in Fig. 2. The longitudinally disposed ducts divide the freezingspace 24 into a plurality of freezing compartments bounded on one sideby the ducts 23 and on the other side by the duets 30. The shelves arethermally connected both with the ducts 23 and 30. This arrangement maybe effected either by soldering rectangular metal sleeves 32 to theducts 23 and 30, or by laying drawing heat from the interior of thefreezleo ing zone by the use of a relatively small'number of conduits.This effects a considerable saving in manufacture, as it requiresneither a large number of loops of pipe, nor a large number ofconnections to the header, the latter especially being expensivemanufacturing operations. x I am thus enabled to produce economically acooling unit, having a compact freezing space or zone or a plurality offreezing zones or compartments of large ice freezing capacity,surrounded by, a zone which effectively cools the circulating air torefrigerate a storage compartment.

While the form of embodiment of the present invention as hereindisclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood thatother forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claimswhich follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

l. Refrigerating apparatus comprising, a header for containingrefrigerant, a plurality of ducts extending from the header to formavfreezing zone, and one or more ducts extending from the header andpassing through the freezing zone in a. direction transverse to thedirection of the first mentioned ducts.

2. Refrigerating apparatus comprising. an elongated header forcontaining refrigerant, a plurality of ducts extending from the headertransversely to its axis and forming a horizontal and rearwardlyextending freezing zone, and one or more conduits connected to theheader and extending rearwardly through the freezing zone.

3. Refrigerating apparatus comprising, an elongated header forcontaining refrigerant, one or more ducts extending from the header inan axial plane, a plurality of ducts extending from the headertransverse to its axis and forming a freezing zone around the firstmentioned ducts, and two or more supports in the freezing zone, theouter portion of each of the supports being thermally connected to thetransverse duets and the inner portions of each of the supports beingthermally connected to the axial ducts.

4. Refrigerating apparatus comprising, an elongated header forcontaining refrigerant, one or more loops extending from the header inan axial plane, and a plurality of loops extending from the headertransverse to its axis and surrounding the first mentioned loops to forma freezing zone.

5. Refrigerating apparatus comprising, an elongated header forcontaining refrigerant, one or more loops extending from'the header inan axial plane, a plurality of loops extending from the headertransverse to its axis and surrounding the first mentioned loops to forma freezing zone, and two or more supports placed side by side in thefreezing zone, the outer portions of each of the supports beingthermally connected to the outer loops and the inner portions beingthermally connected to the inner loops.

6. Refrigerating apparatus comprising, an elongated header forcontaining refrigerant, a relatively largenumber of ducts extending fromthe header and formin an inner freezing zone and an outer cooling space,and a relatively small number of ducts projecting into the freezing zoneand having a relatively large area exposed to the freezing space` saidlatter ducts being arranged to divide said freezing zone into aplurality of compartments each adapted to receive an ice tray.

7. Refrigerating apparatus comprising, an elongated header forcontaining liquid refrigerant, one or more loops extending from theheader in an axial plane, other duct means connected with the header,and means supported between said loop and duct means and in intimatemetallic contact with the duct means and with a plurality of branches ofthe loop for supporting an ice tray.

8. Refrigerating apparatus comprising, an

elongated header for containing liquid re-v frigerant, a plurality ofduet loops connected with the header in parallel circuit relation,certain of said loops extending from the header in an axial plane, andother of said loops extending from the header transverse to its axis,and means supported between said loops and in intimate metallic contacttherewith for supporting an ice tray.

.9. A cooling unit for mechanical refrigerators comprising a rearwardlyelongated header, heat exchange means connected with the header, one ormore loops connected with the header, said loop being disposed below theheader and extending rearwardly and cooperating with said heat exchangemeans to provide a horizontal and rearwardly extending freezing zone foran elongated ice tray.

10. A cooling unit for mechanical refrigerators comprising an elongatedrearwardly extending header, heat exchange means connected with theheader, one or more loops connected withthe headerand disposedlongitudinally thereof, said loop cooperating with said heat exchangemeans to provide a horizontal and rearwardly extending freezing zone,lfor an elongated icetray.

of said looped conduit means forming therebetween a rearwardlyextending- `freeaing zone, 1ce tray supports disposed within saidfreezing zone and conduit means extending longitudinally` of and withinthe freezingl zone and disposed between andin thermal Contact with saidsupports. 1 Y

13. Refrigerating apparatus comprising looped conduit means, the opposedbranches of said looped conduit means forming therebetween a rearwardlyextending freezing zone, ice tray supports disposed within said freezingzone, and in different vertical planes, and conduit means extendinglongitudinally of the freezing Zone and between and in theri mal contactwith the supports.

14. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a rearwardly elongated header forliquid refrigerant, looped conduit means connected with the header, theopposed branches ofsaid looped conduit means forming therebetween arearwardly extending freezing zone and conduit means extendinglongitudinally of and within the freezing zone for dividing the sameinto a plurality of rearward- 1y extending freezing compartments forelongated ice trays.

15. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a rearwardly elongated header for-liquid refrigerant, conduit means connected with the header andproviding a freezing zone, and conduit means extending longitudinally ofand within said freezing zone for dividing the same into a plurality ofrearwardly extending compartments eachad apted to receive an elongatedice tray.

16. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a. rearwardly elongated headerfor liquid refrigerant, conduits means connected with the header andproviding a freezing zone, ice tray supports for rearwardly extendingice trays disposed within said freezing zone, and conduit meansextending 'longitudinally of and within the freezing zone and disposedbetween and in thermal contact with said supports.

17. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a rearwardly elongated header forliqnid refrigerant, conduit means connected wlth the header andproviding a freezing zone, ice

tray supports for rearwardly extending ice trays disposed within saidfreezing zone, and in different vertical planes, and conduit meansextending longitudinally of the freezing zone and between and in thermalcontact with the supports.

18. A cooling' unit for refrigerators comprising-a header, a conduitconnected with -said header and extending longitudinally with respect tothe axis of the header, a sec-y -ond conduit nested within said firstnamed conduit and cooperating therewith to provide a row of conduitsextending longitudinally with `respect to the axis of the header,

laterally from said row of conduits to pro,-

vide at least one other wall of said freezing zone or compartment.

. 19. A cooling unit for refrigerators comprising a header, a pluralityof conduit loops disposed one outside of the other and having their endsconnected with said header, said conduit loops being arranged to providea row of conduits extending longitudinally with respect to theaxis ofthe header to pro' vide at least a portion of a wall of a freezing zoneor compartment adapted to receive a receptacle to be cooled, andrefrigerantjcon veying means communicating with said header and spacedlaterally from said row of conduitsto provide at least one other wallofsaid freezing zone or compartment.

20. A cooling unit for refrigerators comy operating with and nestedwithin' said first namedv conduit to provide a row of conduits extendinglongitudinally with respect to the axis of the header, said row ofconduits providing at least a portion of a'wall of a freezing zone oi'compartment disposed below said header adapted to receive a receptacleto be cooled, and refrigerant conveying means communicating with saidheader and spaced laterally from said row of conduits to provide atleast one other wall of said freezing zone or compartment.

2 1. A cooling unit for refrigerators comprising a header, a pluralityof conduit loops disposed one outside of the other and depending fromsaid header, said conduit' loops having their ends connected with theheader and being arranged to provide a row of conduits extendinglongitudinally with respect to the axis of the header to provide atleast a portion of a wall of a freezing zone or compartment disposedbelow said header adaptiso rigerant conveying means communicating withsaid header and spaced laterally rom said row ofconduits to provide atleast one other Wall of said freezing zone or compart- 5' ment.

In testimony wheeof I hereto a'lx my signature.

